Hoosiers look to influences to prepare for N.C. State

When the football team opens its season against North Carolina State Saturday at Memorial Stadium, it could be as close as the Hoosiers will get to playing defending national champion Florida State or offensive powerhouse Brigham Young University.\nThe Hoosiers aren't scheduled to play the Seminoles or Cougars in the near future, but against the Wolfpack, they face a team linked with two of college football's elite programs.\nN.C. State coach Chuck Amato is in the midst of his first season in Raleigh, after serving as assistant head to Bobby Bowden at Florida State. Amato, a 1969 graduate of N.C. State, returned to his alma mater after spending 14 seasons with the Seminoles. In addition to his duties as assistant head coach, Amato coached Florida State's linebackers the past four seasons.\nIt was evident during the Wolfpacks' 38-31, double-overtime victory against Arkansas State that Amato's coaching style will be similar to Bowden's. The legendary Florida State coach is known for taking chances and opening the game up and that's exactly what Amato did against Arkansas State. \nOn the game's opening play, the Wolfpack attempted a trick play on offense. As the game wore on, the Wolfpack ended up going for a touchdown on fourth down six times, and freshman quarterback Philip Rivers attempted 57 passes. \n"Coach Bowden is a riverboat gambler and my family are street gamblers," Amato joked. "Bobby has had tremendous influence on me. I learned with a wide-open offense you have a chance to score."\nAmato was also Bowden-like in the way he handled the game's outcome. Instead of being disappointed his team needed two overtimes to knock-off a team it was heavily favored to defeat, Amato was encouraged by the victory.\n"All Coach Amato wanted us to do is finish the game," N.C. State junior linebacker LeVar Fisher said. "If you put your head down, he will slap you in the face."\n Similar to Florida State, the Wolfpack play an attacking defense, featuring a number of stunts and blitzes.\n "We basically have spent a long time looking at Florida State's defense," IU coach Cam Cameron said. "Chuck Amato comes from Florida State, and we would assume that they would bring that package for the most part. I am sure they will have a wrinkle here or there."\nN.C. State is linked to BYU by new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Norm Chow.\nDuring his tenure at BYU from 1978-1999 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Chow coached Browns' quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer, Davey O'Brien Trophy winner Jim McMahon and future NFL Hall-of-Famer Steve Young.\nBYU's offense is known for its high-octane passing attack. After one game, there are already offensive similarities between the Cougars and Wolfpack.\nBeside the 57 pass attempts, Rivers completed passes to nine different receivers, including nine to senior Eric Leak and seven to sophomore Koren Robinson.\nAfter the first full weekend of college football games, N.C. State is ranked eighth in the NCAA in total offense, averaging 539 yards per game.\n"If you look at them statistically, Norm Chow has picked up right where he left off at BYU," Cameron said.